60 pages • 2 hours read
Deb CalettiA Heart in a Body in the World
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 29-31Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 29 Summary
Annabelle makes it to Chicago, a city she’s never visited before. Annabelle stops at Grant Park, where she sees Gina, Grandpa, Malcolm, Zach, Olivia, Dawn Celeste, and Luke, holding a “Congratulations, Graduate” sign. Annabelle stops by their hotel to shower, and then the group heads to a street fair in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. As they walk, Zach says he wishes their friend Kat could be with them.
They enjoy the food at the street fair, take an architectural boat tour, and have dinner at a restaurant. Gina notices the romance between Grandpa and Dawn Celeste. Later that night Annabelle and Malcolm are in their hotel room when they hear voices in the hallway. It’s Gina and Grandpa, who have always fought, hugging and telling each other they love each other. Annabelle jokes, “We’ve just eavesdropped on a miracle” (301).
Annabelle takes the next day off from running to visit tourist attractions with her family and friends. That night Annabelle and Grandpa say goodbye to everyone. Luke tells Annabelle that he and Dawn Celeste will see Annabelle at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, where Annabelle is scheduled to give a speech. Annabelle says she still doesn’t know what she’ll say. Annabelle asks if it’s okay that Luke and Dawn Celeste continue to join them, assuming all this time that Luke has a girlfriend. Luke doesn’t have a girlfriend; he likes Annabelle, but he’s trying to be considerate by taking things slow, considering Annabelle’s past. Annabelle says she likes Luke too. They hug goodbye, and Luke gives Annabelle a kiss on the cheek.
Chapter 30 Summary
Annabelle resumes her run, enduring more flashbacks of The Taker. Annabelle tries to push away the memories by chatting with Grandpa, talking on the phone with Dr. Mann, texting with Luke, and talking to Olivia.
Nevertheless, her mind flashes back to when she and Will get back together. They fall into their former routine of hanging out and talking every night. Annabelle is happy, but she doesn’t tell The Taker that she’s back together with Will because “some part of her knows it’s dangerous to tell him” (308). One Friday evening Will shows up at Annabelle’s school to pick her up. The Taker sees Annabelle and Will kiss outside the school. When Annabelle sees The Taker watching them, she “feels a terrible rod of guilt jam through her heart, guilt and… what? Something else. Unease” (309).
Soon after, Annabelle finds a 13-page handwritten letter from The Taker in her mailbox. The Taker writes that he loves Annabelle and accuses her of intentionally hurting him by not telling him she is back together with Will. The Taker also starts calling Annabelle constantly. Annabelle avoids answering the phone. Once, Annabelle does answer the phone and hears The Taker crying on the other end. Gina finds The Taker’s letter and tells Annabelle that it worries her; she suggests they call someone about The Taker’s behavior.
Chapter 31 Summary
Annabelle continues to have memories of The Taker. Annabelle remembers finally picking up the phone to one of The Taker’s many calls and telling him he has to stop. Annabelle says she thinks he’s a great guy and she cares about him, but they’re just friends. Secretly, Annabelle knows “[s]he’s lying. She doesn’t care about him so much, not right now, not anymore, because he’s scaring her” (315). Nevertheless, The Taker continues to call and text Annabelle, and even follows her to her volunteer job at a nursing home. Annabelle feels guilty for being his friend for so long and not being clear about how she felt toward him. She believes that she “hurt him, and dealing with that hurt is her job now” (316). After the phone call, The Taker is absent from school for three days, during which time Gina calls the school guidance counselor. Annabelle’s friend Geoff’s dad also calls the school principal after The Taker tells Geoff he is feeling dangerous and posts a picture of a gun on social media. When The Taker returns to school, he grabs Annabelle’s arm outside of class and insists they need to talk. Seeing this, Geoff tells The Taker to let Annabelle go.
Annabelle experiences these memories as she runs to Pittsburgh. It’s getting warmer outside, and Annabelle’s feet and legs are achy and swollen. At one point Annabelle has to stop due to heat exhaustion. Grandpa insists on taking Annabelle to a clinic, but Annabelle refuses.
One weekend shortly after The Taker grabs Annabelle’s arm at school, Geoff throws a party at his parents’ house. Geoff tells The Taker he’s not invited, and The Taker tells Geoff he and his family will be out of town that weekend anyway. Annabelle feels relaxed and excited as she gets ready for the party. While there, Annabelle is excited to see Kat, and they realize they are wearing similar outfits—jeans with orange T-shirts. Will is arriving late, and Annabelle looks forward to seeing him. After a while, Annabelle goes upstairs to use the bathroom. While she’s in the bathroom, she hears someone scream. Then she hears popping noises. Annabelle runs downstairs and sees The Taker with a rifle. The Taker runs out the door. Annabelle sees blood on the floor and Will and Kat both on the ground. The Taker shot Will and Kat, thinking Kat was Annabelle from the back because of the matching orange T-shirts. Annabelle runs into the street, screaming and crying.
Chapters 29-31 Analysis
Prior to Chapter 31, the exact details of the incident with The Taker aren’t given. The reader can deduce, through Annabelle’s memories, that the incident was violent and may have involved gun violence, but it isn’t until this chapter that the event itself is revealed. Furthermore, the novel doesn’t say outright that Kat and Will are dead until these chapters. Instead, these characters are simply referred to, and Annabelle even imagines conversations with Kat. Chapter 31 is significant because it reveals how all these details connect, culminating in the horrible shooting at the hands of The Taker that leaves Kat and Will dead. Omitting these details earlier emphasizes Annabelle’s trauma and struggle to cope with the incident. However, as The Taker’s trial date nears, Annabelle has no choice but to remember the details of that day.
Throughout her memories of The Taker, Annabelle feels guilty about the times she flirted with him or was friendly with him. Even after Annabelle tells The Taker outright that he needs to leave her alone, she still feels a responsibility to be gentle with him, thinking he’s depressed. She also feels responsible for the times she may have given him the wrong impression about their relationship. When The Taker won’t stop calling Annabelle, she thinks, “She’s responsible. She caused these feelings. She encouraged him, she was unclear” (316). This moment connects to a larger theme in the novel, in which Annabelle reflects on the responsibilities of young women. Women are expected to be friendly and attractive, even during difficult situations. Annabelle knows she has the right to say no, but it is difficult for her to digest this double standard, especially when she was friendly toward the individual, in this case The Taker, in the past. As the novel progresses, Annabelle learns that she doesn’t have to feel guilty—she did nothing to cause the Taker’s ultimate violent actions. Slowly, Annabelle realizes she can replace her initial feelings of guilt with anger and sadness, which helps her open up to others and overcome this tragedy.
